Latest Update
Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (DV)
Bengaluru, May 7: After the official Twitter handle of Office of Tejasvi Surya, the BJP MP (Bengaluru South) and Yuva Morcha president called media reports of his apology at Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) war room as fake news, the editor-in-chief of The News Minute has claimed that she has audio as a proof.
In a tweet, Dhanya Rajendran wrote, "Hello! What is fake news here? You went there. Said sorry that numbers leaked, people harassed and said you will find who leaked numbers. You said you read a list which was given to you. You said 'being shown as a conspiracy against Muslims' How do I know? I have the audio."
Dhanya Rajendran (left) and Tejasvi Surya
The Twitter handle Office of Tejasvi Surya had at 10.35 am on Friday, May 7 wrote, 'When one has no news, they create fake news.' Along with the corresponding news link.
It may be recalled that The News Minute, an Indian digital news platform had reported a piece of news on Tejasvi Surya with a headline that read, 'I just read out list given to me': Tejasvi Surya revisits BBMP war room, apologises. This news report had received backlash from the official handle of the Office of Tejasvi Surya who maintained the report as ‘fake news'.
Earlier report
Daijiworld Media Network – Bengaluru
Bengaluru, May 7: The twitter page of office of Tejasvi Surya, the Bengaluru South BJP MP and and Yuva Morcha president, has called media reports of his apology at Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) war room as fake.
A section of media on Friday had claimed that Tejasvi Surya had visited the same COVID-19 war room in Bengaluru South, where the controversy erupted, on Thursday and apologised.
On Friday noon, the official handle of the Office of Tejasvi Surya claimed the report as ‘fake news’.
The Office of Tejasvi Surya Twitter page said, "When one has no news, they create fake news." The personal Twitter handle of Tejasvi Surya re-tweeted the message.
It may be recalled, Tejasvi and Bommanahalli BJP MLA M Sathish Reddy and Basavanagudi MLA Ravi Subramanya on Tuesday May 4 had visited a COVID-19 war room BBMP and made claims about a bed-blocking scam in Bengaluru and doubted the involvement of a few Muslims, whom he named. The reference to Muslims only had led to allegations the BJP leader was attempting to give a communal twist to the issue.
Earlier report
Accusation of scam: MP Tejasvi Surya apologises to Bengaluru war room staff
Daijiworld Media Network – Bengaluru (MS)
Bengaluru, May 7: MP Tejasvi Surya, who allegedly communalized the bed allotment process of Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) in the midst of the city reeling under the ill-effects of second wave of coronavirus, extended apology to the war room personnel of city south zone on Thursday May 6.
Surya tendered apology after his video which was taken two days ago, went viral on social media in which he had gone to the war room with four MLAs of his parliamentary constituency and read the name of 16 employees of war room and accused them of involving in the bed allotment scam. Following this, scores of the 212 people who work in this war room have faced harassment, including sexual harassment, after their names and numbers were leaked on social media platform.
One of the MLAs accompanying Surya had questioned the in charge of war room whether she is running a helpline center or Madrasa.
After going through the reality check, it has come to light that only one out of the 16 Muslim names read by MP Tejasvi was involved in the bed allotment scam and he had joined just a week ago in place of a member who had personal emergency at home.
Most of the rest 15 members, whose names MP Tejaswi Surya had read in the video and accused them of involving in the scam, are graduates in their 20s. They were the members of other teams which were involved in information, isolation, and supervision and releasing of patients who have completed their quarantine period.
Multiple media reports said that, MP Tejasvi Surya went to the war room at south zone of the city and addressing the personnel he said, “I am sorry, it was a mistake on my part. I was given a list and I read it. I know the war room was affected by it. I had no intention of being communal and even did not register the names of the people I read out were from the same community. I did not see whether it is Hindu or Muslim.”
However, Tejasvi neither did not tell the war room members where he got such a list from, nor how he verified its credentials before reading it out. In earlier interviews, Tejasvi had told the media that BBMP joint commissioner gave him the list. He also did not have to apologise to the 16 men whom he named on Tuesday; the 16 workers - most of them in their 20s and many of them college students according to sources - have been asked not to come to the war room until the police gives them a clean chit, according to Crystal Infosystems, the contractor who staffs this particular war room.